The Snake Charmer
by Kitsu3
Summary: When his family visits Metropolis, Harry gets dragged along. It turns into both the best and worst vacation ever, starting when he makes his first friend in a park a few blocks from the circus...


**Title:** The Snake Charmer

**Author:** Kitsu3

**Summary:** When his family visits Metropolis, Harry gets dragged along. It turns into both the best and worst vacation ever, starting when he makes his first friend in a park a few blocks from the circus...

**Disclaimer:** I own neither Harry Potter nor Batman. As in the series, not just the characters.

**Author's Notes/Ramblings: **Yes, I did get parts of the idea for this story from other, extant HP/Batman crossovers. However, this is different, as far as I know, from anything anyone else has written as yet. Don't be mad because I borrowed the Vernon on a business trip idea. I needed some way to get Harry to America, after all, and that was truly inspired.

**PLEASE READ: **THIS STORY PROBABLY WILL NOT BE UPDATED ANY TIME SOON AND THE LIKELIHOOD IT WILL BE COMPLETED IS NEGLIGIBLE. I'M POSTING THIS BECAUSE IT'S MY BIRTHDAY AND I FEEL LIKE IT. DESPITE THAT, FEEDBACK IS APPRECIATED. THANK YOU.

o-o-o

Chapter 1

The Trip

o-o-o

Six-year-old Harry Potter struggled to carry the four bags he had been ordered to carry, stumbling across the pavement. He felt strangely disappointed. This wasn't the vacation he had imagined.

Even being on a vacation was a new experience for him. It was pure luck that Mrs. Figg had gotten the flu and Aunt Marge had gotten new dogs to train and didn't have time for him. So when his Uncle Vernon had gotten to go on a business trip and his Aunt had insisted on coming along, they'd had to bring not only Dudley, but Harry as well.

He had been pretty sure he would be taken places with Dudley-there was no way his aunt and uncle would trust him alone in a hotel room-but he hadn't known just how much shopping his aunt would be doing on their visit to New York City. Already they'd visited six different stores (one a candy store and one a toy store, so that Dudley would have something to distract himself with while Aunt Petunia went shopping for clothes) and Harry was beginning to get tired. So he was (for once) relieved when his cousin began to whine about getting tired himself.

Aunt Petunia smiled at her son, simpered, and immediately led both boys towards a park where Dudley could relax and play. Once they arrived, Petunia found a bench where she deposited her bags and then sat down. Harry hesitantly followed suit, and when he wasn't scolded, gratefully sat down to rest himself. He sat there comfortably for a few minutes, enjoying the slight breeze; New York City was _hot _the summer.

He was just beginning to fidget, wanting to join the other children, when his aunt snapped at him, "Well, go on, then. I certainly don't want to keep sitting next to you. But don't you dare keep me waiting when it's time to go."

"I won't!" Harry promised, delighted, and bounded off the bench to join the other children.

His excitement soon faded, however, when he remembered that he really had no idea how to make friends... and Dudley soon made it clear that any child who dared to make friends with Harry would regret their decision. So it was about ten minutes later that a dejected Harry headed away from the other children to sit, alone, on a swing set.

He didn't know how long he sat there, staring longingly at the children running and playing on the slides and ladders, but he noticed when a finger tapped him on the shoulder, breaking him from his reverie. Startled, he turned in his seat to come face to face with another boy, who was staring at him with a curious and somewhat sympathetic expression.

"Hi," the boy said. "I'm Dick."

"I'm Harry," Harry said shyly.

"Wanna play together?"

"Sure!" Harry said brightly, lighting up, before remembering his cousin, and his face fell once more. "But, that probably wouldn't be such a good idea."

"Why not?" The other boy's expression gave away his puzzlement.

"Because of my cousin," Harry explained, glancing once in Dudley's direction, and then lowering his voice to a hushed whisper. "He... he beats up other kids if they play with me."

"What about your parents?" Dick asked, clearly taken aback and a little upset. "Won't they stop him?" Harry slumped further.

"They're dead," he said. "They died when I was a baby. I live with my aunt and uncle."

"Oh, sorry," Dick said, frowning. "They don't stop your cousin from bullying you?"

Harry shook his head, confused at that question. Why would they? Dudley was their son. Why would they care about Harry?

"Is that why you aren't playing with anyone else?" Dick asked. Harry shrugged awkwardly.

"Yeah, but I also-they all already have someone to play with. I don't know-I don't like lots of people around." He abruptly fell silent. The other boy thought about this for a moment.

"Why don't we just swing together, then?" he offered. Harry smiled shyly, nervously.

"Er," he said quietly, "I don't know how." At the other boy's blank look, he flushed and added, "I don't know how to swing by myself. I've tried a couple times by watching, and I think I sort of get it, but I always mess up before I get very high."

"Well, that's okay," Dick said, though he was looking a bit bemused. "I'll show you."

"Thanks," Harry replied, giving the other boy a full-fledged grin. Dick smiled back and moved to sit in the swing next to him.

It was only then that Harry realized that his new friend was actually quite a bit larger than him-not a difficult feat, as Harry was rather small for his age, and Dick seemed like he was older than Harry anyway-and quite fit, and for the first time he thought that maybe, just maybe, Dudley wouldn't be able to scare this friend away.

It was the first time he had ever entertained such a thought. Whenever Harry tried to make friends, Dudley would chase them away. That was just how things were. But now, as he watched in awe at how his friend's body moved (like an art! Who knew that just pumping a swing could look so-so graceful, so _amazing?_), he felt like Dick could do anything, even something as impossible as facing down Dudley Dursley. Because Dick was completely confident, completely elegant, and completely in control, and that was so impossible already that it seemed natural he would be able to do other impossible things.

Then, with some coaching from Dick, Harry finally managed to get his swing up in the air. He enjoyed the rush of air sweeping through his already untamable locks and glanced over to see Dick with his black hair as messy as Harry's own and with as wide a smile on his face (directed at Harry, no less!). And then Dick gave him the thumbs up as his stomach swooped and they fell back towards the earth.

It was at that moment Harry decided that flying was the best feeling in the world.

o-o-o

It was with great excitement that Dick Grayson, age seven, arrived at the park with his parents. They had to be back to the circus by five to prepare for another show, but in the meantime, the Boy Wonder was looking forward to being just another boy among other kids his age.

When he looked around, though, he was greatly disappointed. There was one group of kids on the slides, but they looked unfriendly and were pushing each other around a lot. There was another group of kids playing soccer, and Dick was just about to go join them when another boy caught his eye.

A small, black-haired boy was sitting slumped on a swing all alone, rocking slightly back and forth, staring at the other kids but never actually going and joining him. Dick headed in his direction, missing his parents' proud smiles at one another when they noticed where he was going. Once he got close enough, Dick tapped the boy inquiringly on the shoulder. The boy jumped slightly and turned to meet Dick's eyes.

_Green_, was the first thing Dick thought as he stared at the thin face, deprived of most of the baby fat it ought to have. The boy's eyes were a brilliant emerald green, and filled with something Dick couldn't understand or look away from.

"Hi," he greeted the boy. "I'm Dick."

"I'm Harry," the boy replied shyly.

"Wanna play together?" Dick asked, unsure why the boy seemed to be avoiding the other kids.

"Sure!" Harry said brightly, before biting his lip and looking down, breaking the spell Dick seemed to have been under. "But, that probably wouldn't be such a good idea."

"Why not?" Dick questioned, confused.

"Because of my cousin." Harry glanced in the direction of the slides and Dick recalled the boys he had seen roughhousing earlier. "He... doesn't like it when I play with other kids."

"What about your parents? Won't they stop him?" Dick asked naively. Harry hunched his shoulders.

"They're dead," he said, making Dick feel horrible for asking. "They died when I was a baby. I live with my aunt and uncle."

"Oh, sorry." He was still confused, though. Wouldn't Harry's aunt and uncle then punish their son for bullying his cousin? He voiced this thought and felt unusually upset when Harry's face showed nothing but confusion as he shook his head in denial. "Is that why you aren't playing with anyone?" he then asked, drawing the logical conclusion. Harry shrugged awkwardly.

"Yeah, but I also—they all already have someone to play with. I don't know—I don't like lots of people around." He abruptly fell silent.

Well, being group-shy explained why he wouldn't want to play soccer with about ten other kids he didn't know.

"Why don't we just swing together, then?" Dick offered. Harry smiled shyly, nervously.

"Er," he said quietly, "I don't know how." Dick stared at him blankly, not understanding what there was not to know. After all, he'd been taught how to swing on trapezes from the time he was old enough to hang onto a bar (albeit low ones, at first). Harry flushed and added, "I don't know how to swing by myself. I've tried a couple times by watching, and I think I sort of get it, but I always mess up before I get very high."

"Well, that's okay," Dick said bemusedly. "I'll show you."

"Thanks," Harry replied, giving him a wide grin. Dick smiled back, moving around to sit next to the boy. He watched as Harry demonstrated what he knew and figured that for someone who was self-taught, he was doing quite well. He made a few corrections to the smaller boy's method and felt a swell of satisfaction when Harry finally began to go higher and higher.

He swung to match his friend's rhythm, then, and looked over at a burst of laughter to see Harry, face flushed and eyes bright and with a wide grin on his face that seemed to only grow wider the higher he went. He grinned back, completely satisfied.

It was at that moment that Dick decided that helping people was the best feeling in the world.

o-o-o

It was a full fifteen minutes before Dudley noticed his cousin's new friend, much to said cousin's relief. He took in the new boy's physique and decided that a surprise attack would be most effective.

He snuck (or tried to) up behind the two boys and glanced around to make sure no adults were watching. Seeing none, he allowed himself a smug, vicious smile before he reached up behind the boy and shoved him in the back, hard, halfway through his forward swing. The boy let go in surprise and Dudley grinned victoriously.

"Dick!" the freak shouted as he watched the boy fall. But then something unusual happened: the boy hit the ground, but rolled forward in a clearly controlled movement and stood up smoothly. Dudley's jaw dropped. There wasn't a scratch on the boy's body.

Now he was worried. The boy was uninjured and angry with him, and clearly not going to back down from a fight. Plus, the freak's shout had alerted some adults, who were now heading in this direction. The freak himself had stopped swinging and had run over to help his friend, stupidly asking if the boy was alright. It was obvious he was fine.

"What's going on here?" asked a resonant, commanding voice. Dudley turned and flinched.

The man behind him was very tall and sturdily built, and Dudley had the feeling he would believe his son over anything Dudley said, so he came up with the best excuse he could.

"I accidentally bumped into him and he fell off the swing," the boy said, giving the man his best innocent smile.

"Dick?" the man asked, turning to the boy standing beside and slightly in front of the freak, as though prepared to defend him. Dudley felt a rush of hostility.

"He pushed me," the other boy accused, glaring darkly. The man frowned, even as Dudley shook his head in denial.

"I don't ever want to see you near my son again, do you understand?" he said firmly. Dudley nodded.

"Yes sir," he replied, and walked away, though not before shooting a scowl at the freak who always ruined everything.

o-o-o

Harry was on the top of the world, though there was a knot of nervousness in his gut and a little voice telling him that Dudley was going to get back at Harry somehow. That didn't really matter though, not now. All that mattered was that Dick wasn't hurt and his father didn't believe Dudley and so Harry still had a friend.

"Hello," Mr. Grayson said to Harry, who smiled hesitantly. "Dick, won't you introduce me to your friend?"

"Sure," Dick said. "Dad, this is Harry. Harry, this is my dad."

"I-It's nice to meet you, sir," Harry said politely but nervously. Mr. Grayson studied him for a minute before giving him a warm smile.

"It's Mr. Grayson," he offered kindly, "and it's nice to meet you, too, Harry. It's good to know my son has made a friend."

Harry flushed a little and smiled shyly. Dick grinned before looking over at his dad. "We don't have to go yet, do we?" he pleaded. The man shook his head, looking amused.

"Not yet," he replied. "Not for another hour, in fact." Dick grinned, and Harry felt a thrill of amazement that Dick seemed to want to stay because of _him_.

_You don't know that, _he reminded himself, keeping his hopes in check, because he knew it hurt too much when they were crushed. _Maybe Dick will want to go play soccer with the other kids now._

"Want to play on the jungle gym now?" Dick asked, and all of Harry's worries flew out of his head as he grinned widely.

"Yeah!" he agreed enthusiastically. The two ran over to the metal bars and climbed them. Dick grinned and flipped upside down. Harry happily mimicked him and looked around at the upside down world.

"Was that your cousin?" Dick asked, flipping himself back upright. Harry mused that Dick looked almost the same upside down as right side up.

"Yeah," Harry replied, sitting up to relieve the pressure building in his skull from the blood rush. Dick nodded but didn't say anything else, and so the subject was dropped.

The two played until Harry's aunt called for Dudley. Harry knew that meant him too, so he apologized to Dick and thanked him, and then ran so that he didn't keep Aunt Petunia waiting.

"See you later!" Dick called.

Harry fervently hoped so.

o-o-o

Dick watched Harry go, wondering how he knew he had to go. He had only heard a woman call for someone named Dudley, not Harry. Then he saw the fat blonde boy who had pushed him off his swing heading towards the same woman Harry was. He saw Harry pick up four shopping bags-struggling a bit with their weight-and head off, running a bit to catch up.

The blonde boy, he noticed, was carrying no bags at all, and the woman was only carrying three.

Dick scowled at her back and ran back to his parents, frowning unhappily. His mother noticed his expression first.

"Dickie, is everything alright?" she asked, kneeling to his eye level. Dick shook his head.

"Is it about Harry?" his father asked. Dick nodded. "What is it?"

"That was his cousin who pushed me off the swing," Dick burst out, "and Harry says he does that to anyone who plays with him. He said his aunt doesn't do anything about it, and his parents are dead so they can't do anything either. I don't think he has any friends except me. And he's really skinny and I don't think he gets enough to eat. And when he left, his aunt only called for his cousin-not him-and he had to carry four bags, but his cousin didn't carry any and his aunt only carried three. And his clothes are too big, and his glasses are taped, but his cousin's and aunt's clothes are nice."

The two adult Graysons looked at each other, both horrified at their son's innocent observations, worried about the same thing and neither knowing how nor wanting to convey such an idea to their son.

"Dickie," the boy's father finally ventured, "Did you see if Harry was hurt, at all? Any bruises?"

"Yeah," Dick replied, puzzled. "I saw when he turned upside down. He had a big bruise on his upper arm and one on his stomach." His parents turned to look at one another, their suspicions growing.

"Thank you, Dickie, for befriending and sticking up for him," his father said. "I'm proud of you."

"We both are," his mother corrected, smiling. "You did a good thing, honey." She ruffled his hair affectionately, causing the boy to duck out of the way with a yelp.

"Mo-om," he laughed. "Cut it out!"

He didn't know that both his parents were fervently glad at that moment that their son didn't know what they thought was happening to Harry.

Neither was sure exactly what to do, but they were going to do something. They would take Dick to the park again tomorrow. Maybe the boy would be back. It sounded like both boys needed a friend.

o-o-o

The park was thankfully only three blocks from the Dursleys' hotel. Harry's feet were killing him by the time they got back, but he didn't dare complain. He'd felt worse. Dudley, of course, had no such compunctions.

"Mum, when are we going to get there?" he had whined not a block from the park.

"Soon, Duddykins," Petunia had cooed to her son. "Hurry it up, boy!" she then snapped at Harry, who had begun to lag behind.

The entire walk went rather like that, so Harry was mentally as well as physically exhausted when they arrived at the hotel room. Dudley had wanted his own room, but Vernon's company was only paying for one and it was a high-class hotel, so he had to stay in the one provided. Not that it wasn't twice as big as Dudley's room back home already. And he did get his own bed; Harry slept on the floor.

He stayed out of the way as Dudley played with his new games, tried to beat up Harry, ran out of energy, and went back to his toys again. He was silent through dinner, where he was only allowed water and the cheapest appetizer on the menu, a garden salad. He didn't like it very much, but he was hungry enough that he ate the whole thing anyway. He snuck a roll on the way out.

He didn't have any games, but that was okay. He spent the day imagining what he and Dick would play if they saw each other again.

He went to sleep with a smile on his face.

o-o-o

"I want to go to the park!" Dudley announced the next day, and so that was how Harry ended up there again, once again on the swing set and wishing Dick was there.

And quite suddenly, he was.

"Hey, Harry," a familiar voice said. Harry spun, his surprise obvious on his face, and saw his friend. The grin that lit his face was so wide it was painful, but he didn't care.

"DIck!" he exclaimed happily, jumping up. Dick grinned back, appearing equally happy.

"So, whattaya wanna do today?" he asked. Harry shrugged self-consciously.

"Tic-tac-toe?" he asked, pointing at the giant, plastic, spinning tic-tac-toe board on the side of the playground set.

"Sure," Dick replied, and they set off. Halfway through the second game, Dudley showed up and spun the tiles around, completely obliterating their game.

"Leave us alone," Dick said darkly, fists clenching.

"Make me," the blonde boy challenged.

"Keep messing with us and I will," Dick threatened. Harry, listening, unsure whether or not to intervene, felt a sudden, pleasant warmth when Dick said "us".

Dudley looked uncertain for a moment and then walked away. Harry stared after him amazed.

"Wow, Dick!" he exclaimed in a hushed whisper, so that Dudley couldn't hear him. "You're amazing!"

"I just stood up to him," Dick said in surprise. Harry shook his head.

"But he listened to you," he explained. "Dudley never listens to anyone." He belatedly added, "Except adults. Then if he wants something, he has to ask Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia. But they give him whatever he wants anyway, so..." He shrugged.

"Oh," Dick muttered. "Do you remember what the game looked like?"

"Uh-huh," Harry said.

"Me too."

They quickly fixed the tiles, Harry taking one half and Dick the other, and played a few more games before moving on to the slides. It was hours before they had to part. Dick promised he would be at the park the next day at the same time. Harry explained that he might not be able to make the same promise.

"I can only go if Dudley wants to," he explained.

"That's okay," Dick replied. "I'll cross my fingers." He held up a hand and demonstrated. Harry grinned and copied him.

"Hope I see you tomorrow, Dick," he said as he ran off.

"Me too," Dick replied.

Harry got scolded for not getting back soon enough and he didn't get dinner, but he was too happy to care.

o-o-o

Dick was careful not to think about what Harry had told him until after the performance, this time; he'd almost missed a jump when he'd remembered Harry's cousin on the upward swing. It had been a terrifying but educational experience: when he was on the trapeze, he couldn't afford to think of anything else.

Afterwards, however, he visited Sidka and pet his trunk and wished that he could introduce Harry to him. He thought Harry would enjoy the circus, especially with how much he seemed to enjoy swinging. What would he think of the trapeze? He spent the next few minutes daydreaming about showing his friend the circus. Then his parents called for him, so he said goodbye to Sidka and left to go eat dinner.

"So, Dickie, how did you like the park?" his father asked as the family sat around the table.

"It was great," the boy enthused. "We played tic-tac-toe and hide and go seek. Harry's really fast. Dudley tried to interrupt our tic-tac-toe game, but I told him to go away and so he did."

"That boy who pushed you off the swing before?" his mother asked, frowning. Dick nodded.

"Harry said it was the first time he didn't get what he wanted," he told his parents victoriously. They exchanged proud but worried glances.

"Dick, next time you come and tell us if he's bothering you, okay?" his dad said.

"Okay," Dick agreed.

"Dickie..." his mom began uncertainly, "did you see any more... bruises?"

"A few on his arms," the boy admitted. "How did you know?" His mother gave him a smile, but it was fake and plastic, meant to reassure her son rather than express her feelings.

"Did he tell you where they came from?"

"Probably his cousin," Dick said, scowling. The two adults reacted little, but were inwardly surprised. They hadn't even considered that possibility, which seemed such an obvious answer to their son.

"Why don't you ask him if he wants to come to the circus tomorrow?" Dick's father asked, changing the subject.

"He wouldn't be able to come unless his cousin wants to come, too," the boy said unhappily.

"Well, we can invite him, too," his dad proposed. Dick slumped in his seat, obviously not a big fan of that idea.

"I suppose," he muttered.

"Well, if you don't want to do that, maybe we can get Harry's guardians to let us look after him for a while," his mother suggested. Dick immediately brightened.

"Yes!" he exclaimed enthusiastically, with a seven-year-old's confidence in his parents' ability to make things work out.

Dinner was finished on a lighter note than it began. Dick went to bed hoping even more than last night that Harry would be at the park the next day.

o-o-o

Dudley had made his own friends at the park, which was why he had gone back the previous day and why he wanted to go back the next, as well. He'd also developed a vendetta against Dick for befriending Harry and was intent on settling the score.

Harry didn't bother questioning his cousin's reasons for wanting to go to the park for the third day in a row. He was just happy that he would get to see his friend again.

He went to the swings as usual, but this time he was excited, bouncing around in his seat, waiting for Dick to arrive. This time he saw his friend as he was coming up the walk and ran to greet him.

"Hello, Mr. and Mrs. Grayson," he said politely as he approached them. "Hi, Dick!"

"Hi, Harry," Dick replied, equally enthusiastic. "Mom-"

"Harry, dear," the woman said, causing the boy to look at her in wide-eyed surprise. No one had ever called him "dear" before. "Can you point your aunt out to us?" Harry nodded, suddenly nervous, and hesitantly pointed his finger at Aunt Petunia.

"Thank you," she said, smiling warmly at him. Harry scuffed his sneakers, looking down.

"Y'r welcome," he mumbled embarrassedly.

"Go have fun, boys," Dick's father said jovially. Dick took no time in running off, though Harry paused to wave at the two adults before following his friend.

"So what're we gonna play today?" Harry asked. Dick grinned before reaching out and prodding Harry on the shoulder.

"Tag! You're it!"

o-o-o

"He seems like a really nice kid," Mary Grayson commented fondly as she watched the two boys play. She could see why Dick seemed to like him so much.

"He does," her husband agreed. "Let's go talk to the boy's aunt, shall we?" She nodded grimly and took his arm, and the two set off on their self-imposed mission to improve their son's friend's life.

As they approached the woman, the first thing Mary noticed about her was her pinched lips and unpleasant expression. _This isn't going to be an enjoyable conversation_, she thought despite her earlier determination to try to keep an open mind.

"Excuse me, ma'am," she said, smiling. The woman looked up from her paper and returned her smile with an obviously fake one.

"Yes? What is it?" she said, and Mary marveled at her clearly English accent. She'd noticed Harry had an accent too, of course, but it was much less obvious. The boy had apparently picked up an American accent in a matter of days. "Did that... _boy _ you any trouble?" the woman added, looking towards where Mary knew Harry and Dick were playing.

"You mean Harry?" Mary asked anyway, inwardly seething at the tone she'd used to say "boy". The other woman nodded, her eyes narrowing in displeasure. "No, he hasn't. In fact, I just wanted to say that if you ever need anyone to look after him, we would be glad to." She indicated herself and her husband with a sweep of her hand.

"Why is that?" the woman wanted to know, and Mary gave her a few points for not immediately agreeing.

"He's made friends with my son," she said, then held out her hand. "Mary Grayson. And this is my husband, John."

"Petunia Dursley," Harry's aunt said, shaking the proffered hand briefly. Very briefly. "You might not want your son around that boy. He's trouble through and through."

"Well, hopefully our son will be able to change that, then," Mary said, gripping her husband's elbow painfully tight in an effort to keep the tension she felt off her face. "The offer still stands."

"Thank you," Petunia said. "How can I get hold of you?"

"Here," Mary said kindly, handing her a card that had her number and the name of the circus on it. She waited as Petunia looked it over. Watched as her face froze as she read.

"Oh," Petunia said. "The circus. How... nice."

And Mary knew at that moment that this woman didn't approve of her any more than she approved of her own nephew, simply because Mary worked at a circus. At once she felt a wave of sympathy for Harry. Hopefully Petunia would still allow her to take care of the boy, though nothing was really clear at this point.

"Thank you," Mary said ironically, and then, more honestly, "I hope we hear from you." Because that would mean that her son could spend more time with Harry, and that Harry wouldn't have to spend as much time with relatives that obviously, at the least, disliked him.

As she and her husband walked away, she had a brief, insane desire to adopt the boy and take him away from a family that didn't deserve him. Shaking her head to dislodge the impossible and impulsive thought, she turned again to watch her boy and Harry playing. They both seemed to be having the time of their lives.

"You're thinking about having another child again, aren't you?" John asked from beside her. She nodded, leaning her head against his arm. Watching Dick interact with Harry made her wish that her son had a brother close to his age to play with. She knew he got lonely without any other children except Miranda in the circus. Dick and Miranda got along, but they were still both at the age where girls preferred to play with girls and boys with boys.

"It's a bit late to give Dickie a brother to play with, though," Mary murmured sadly. John wrapped an arm around her shoulders to comfort her.

"It's not your fault," he said quietly but firmly. "He's happy. He's made a friend, and maybe they'll be able to keep in contact."

"Unlikely," Mary said unhappily, unconsciously glancing in Petunia Dursley's direction. John sighed.

"Well, then, he'll make other friends." He caught the look his wife was giving him. "We can't help him, Mary. We have no proof he's being abused. Hopefully things will turn out all right for him, as well."

"I just wish we could make life better for him," Mary murmured, gripping her husband's hand tightly.

"So do I," he agreed, watching their children play. "So do I."

o-o-o

Dick just _knew_ that Dudley was going to try to get back at them again today. What he didn't know was when he'd make the attempt.

From the way Harry was constantly glancing over his shoulder, a nervous expression on his face, he had probably come to the same conclusion. After all, it generally wasn't a good idea to look away from the person who was "it" unless you were trying to decide where to run next.

Despite knowing what his friend was worried about, Dick had no qualms about taking advantage of Harry's distraction to tag him when he wasn't paying attention. Harry was now the one chasing instead of being chased, but he was still nervous and distracted, allowing Dick to slip away many times when he should've been caught. Then Dudley showed up, not on his own, but with three friends who surrounded the two boys, and Dick knew that his friend was reaching breaking point.

"Got you now, freak," Dudley sneered at Harry. Then the boys lunged at Dick.

"NO!" Harry shouted, reaching out a hand, and at that moment Dudley's pants fell to his ankles in mid-run. The large boy went sprawling, causing his cronies to trip over him as he went down. Dick grabbed Harry's arm and took off, half-dragging him to the safety of his parents.

"They attacked us," Dick said to his parents, pointing, shaking slightly from the encounter. "Harry, are you okay?" Harry looked up, shivering.

"Yeah," he said softly.

"Really?"

"I'm gonna be in trouble," the smaller boy mumbled softly. Dick turned to him in confusion and anger, not understanding.

"Why? They attacked us! They should get in trouble!"

"My aunt and uncle don't like it when-when-" Harry's eyebrows scrunched together as he searched for the word, "_abnormal_stuff happens. They always punish me when it does."

Dick didn't know exactly what that meant, but it sounded extremely unfair if it meant that Harry would get punished after his cousin attacked him. He glanced at his parents and saw that they looked upset as well.

It really was unfair, then.

"Boy!" a shrill voice called. Harry's head jerked around. "Let's go!"

"Bye, Dick," Harry said quickly. "I won't be able to see you again. Sorry." And with that, he turned and ran as fast as he could back to the tall woman with her fat son whom Dick hated right now more than anyone in the world.

o-o-o

Harry was, as he had expected, in a lot of trouble. Dudley had immediately gone to his mother, who was quietly furious, though she didn't say anything until they got back to the hotel room. Then she had slapped Harry on both cheeks, not hard enough to bruise, but enough to sting, badly.

"You will not be getting any dinner," she said furiously. "You won't be getting any food at all for a week. You'll stay in the bathroom, except when one of us needs to use it, for the remainder of this trip. Your punishment will continue when we return."

"Yes, ma'am," Harry said quietly. Behind her back, Dudley was sneering at him. When his aunt turned away, Harry stuck out his tongue.

"Mom! The freak stuck his tongue out at me!" the boy immediately tattled. Aunt Petunia immediately turned and struck Harry across the cheek again, then grabbed his arm and threw him into the bathroom. The door was pulled shut and there was a rattling that meant that something had been shoved under the handle to prevent him from leaving. The light switches were outside. He was alone in the dark.

He curled up into a ball and waited for morning.

o-o-o

Dick went to the park the next day, but true to his word, Harry wasn't there, even though his cousin was. Dejected, he waited for an hour, swinging back and forth halfheartedly and hoping Harry would show up. Eventually he gave up and went back to his parents. They tried to comfort him, but Dick wouldn't be cheered. Everything felt wrong.

"I want to see Harry," he said, frustrated.

"Maybe you'll get to see him tomorrow," his mother said. Dick scowled.

"I want to see him _now!_" he insisted, knowing he was being unreasonable, and not really caring.

"We don't even know where he's staying," his mom tried to reason with him.

"I don't care!" Dick cried. "I want to see Harry!"

"Dick," his father said sternly. "If we don't see Harry tomorrow, we will find out where he is and why he isn't with his aunt and cousin. Until then, be patient." Dick subsided, consoled by his father's promise.

John sighed as he watched his son wander off moodily. He'd appreciated Harry as a friend to his son, but it seemed that he'd done more than just befriend another boy who desperately needed it; he'd made his way into their son's heart, and, in a lesser way, his wife's and his own, as well. They hadn't spent a great deal of time together, but the boy had become so close to his son that it was impossible not to want to help him.

There was a part of him that wanted to call the police immediately and alert them to possible child abuse. But there was another, larger part that wanted to be absolutely certain, because if he wrongfully accused a family of child abuse the circus would take the hit, and he couldn't do that to his family-for the circus was his family, not just Mary and Dick. And, more horribly and selfishly, he didn't want Harry to get taken into state custody where he would likely never get to see Dick again.

Maybe that wasn't a completely selfish thought, though. After all, it seemed like Harry was also benefiting from having a friend, and it would probably hurt him to not be able to see Dick again, as well. Plus, the foster system was reputably not one of the nicest places to be.

_Do those things outweigh the suffering he might be experiencing right now, though?_

They might well.

So John decided he was secure in his decision. He only hoped that he would be able to go through with his promise to his son if it came down to that.

o-o-o

"That's it!" Vernon growled that evening, after Dudley was asleep. "He not only hurts Dudley, but embarrasses him in front of all his friends! We are getting rid of that freak once and for all!"

"But how?" Petunia whispered fearfully. "If we send him to an orphanage back home, _they _just send him back to us!"

"So we leave him here," Vernon said decisively. Petunia bit her lip worriedly.

"The boy's smart. He'll know to go to the police. We'll be in custody before we can leave the country."

"So we leave him with someone," Vernon said. "How about those circus freaks? He'll fit right in."

"I suppose..." Petunia replied, "If we told them we'd pick him up at four..." Their plane was supposed to leave at one-thirty.

"Good," her husband said. "Let's do that, then. Tomorrow, you call them up and ask if they can take care of the freak for a few hours while we go to lunch. We'll be out of the country before they figure out we're not coming back."

o-o-o

Neither John nor Mary had really expected to be contacted by the Dursleys after their last encounter, and so the two were extremely surprised to receive a phone call from one Petunia Dursley at eleven o' clock that morning.

"Hello. Mrs. Dursley?" Mary asked as she picked up the phone.

"Mrs. Grayson," she heard the woman say in a slightly nasal tone. "We were going out to lunch and I was wondering if you could look after Harry from noon until about four."

"Of course," Mary replied. "Can you find your way here?"

"Actually, since the park is on the way to the restaurant, I was hoping we could just drop him off there."

"That's fine. We'll meet him there."

"Good." A pause, then, grudgingly, "Thank you."

"It's no problem," Mary said honestly. "Where will you pick him up?"

"At the circus," was the terse reply.

"All right then. Goodbye."

"Goodbye."

The conversation hadn't been a particularly pleasant one, but Mary still felt cheerful enough by the end of it.

"Go tell Dick he gets to see Harry for a few hours today," she told her husband with a brilliant smile when she hung up the phone. He chuckled and pressed a kiss into her hair, then left to do just that.

They arrived at the park at fifteen minutes until noon and found Harry already sitting on a swing, all alone, with no one watching him. He seemed unconcerned, however, and jumped up to greet them.

"This is so great!" Dick exclaimed to his friend as he approached. "You get to stay with us for a while! You'll get to meet Sidka and Miranda and Bruno and Connie and Pete, and, and-"

"Whoa, slow down there, Dickie," his dad laughed. "You'll overwhelm the poor boy." Dick smiled sheepishly.

"Sorry," he apologized.

"That's okay," Harry replied. "Who're Sidka and Miranda and all those others?"

Dick grinned.

"You'll see."

o-o-o

"Get out," Harry's aunt had snapped that morning, opening the door. He'd assumed that she needed to use the bathroom, so he was confused when she strode out and tossed him his oversized sneakers. "Let's go."

_Go where? _he wanted say, but he knew better than to ask questions. His question would be answered anyway, eventually.

They walked in stormy silence. Harry fidgeted occasionally, but subsided at his aunt's glare each time. Eventually they reached the park, making the boy wonder what they were there for.

"Stay here until they come to pick you up," his aunt said, and walked off. Harry had waited in that spot for several minutes, but she never returned, and neither did anyone else claiming to have come to pick him up. Eventually, he wandered over to the swings and sat there in hopes that Dick would show up at some point, though he didn't really expect him to.

And then, out of the corner of his eye, he saw Dick coming up the sidewalk. He leaped up and ran to his friend, relieved at the presence of someone he knew.

"This is so great!" Dick exclaimed before Harry could get a word in edgewise. "You get to stay with us for a while! You'll get to meet Sidka and Miranda and Bruno and..." He kept going, but Harry couldn't keep up with all the names.

"Whoa, slow down there, Dickie," Mr. Grayson laughed. "You'll overwhelm the poor boy." Dick smiled sheepishly.

"Sorry," he apologized.

"That's okay," Harry replied, caring more about what Dick was saying than his manners. Could it be that the Graysons were the ones Harry got to stay with for a while? "Who're Sidka and Miranda and all those others?"

Dick grinned.

"You'll see."

Harry's previous fears had diminished to next to nothing, but his curiosity had grown from the moment Dick had started speaking. As they walked back to Dick's home, Harry spent half his time chattering with the other boy about toys and games of make-believe, and spent the other half imagining the people Dick was talking about.

None of his imaginings even came close to the reality, however.

"Wow!" he exclaimed as they approached the brightly colored tent. "What is it? Do you live near here?" Dick laughed delightedly.

"It's a circus, of course! And I live there!" Harry looked at him, wide-eyed.

"What's a circus?" he asked. Dick stopped smiling and stared at him with a look of shock similar to Harry's own. The adults had similar expressions when Harry glanced at them, though they were trying to hide it.

"You don't know what a circus is?" Dick repeated, astonished. Harry shook his head, shrinking in on himself.

"Sorry..." he murmured softly.

"No, don't apologize," Mrs. Grayson said immediately. "We'll just have to show you, won't we, Dickie?" Dick nodded emphatically.

"Come on, let's go see Sidka. He's an elephant," he said.

"Wow!" Harry breathed again in amazement.

"Ask Mr. and Mrs. Kane before you take Harry to see the animals," Mr. Grayson warned.

"Okay, Dad," Dick said before tugging Harry in a seemingly random direction.

Everywhere he looked, people were doing impossible things. A man Dick waved at and called "Bruno" was lifting an immense weight above his head; a woman even heavier than Dudley told him he needed to put on some weight; another woman was bending herself into strange shapes and one man was juggling flaming torches. Harry was getting a headache from trying to look everywhere at once. It was just all so fantastical, a world he'd never dreamed existed.

Since everything here was abnormal, like him, they wouldn't mind him so much, would they?

It was the first time such a thought had ever entered his head, but it stuck there with remarkable tenacity. For once in his life Harry felt like he fit in.

He almost didn't notice when Dick dragged him into one of the bigger tents and stopped, and so just barely avoided running into his friend. It was quieter in the tent than outside; the talking of passerby and roar of the traffic was muffled by canvas walls. There were other noises, too, stranger ones: munching noises, growling, and the occasional trumpeting sound. A man spotted them and walked over, making Harry shrink back; the tall, well built man was a bit intimidating. Dick, however, remained perfectly at ease.

"Hello there, Dickie," the man said, obviously familiar with the older boy. Slowly, Harry began to relax. "Who's your friend?"

"This is Harry," Dick introduced him. "Harry, this is Mr. Kane. He trains and takes care of the animals."

"Nice to meet you," Harry said shyly. Mr. Kane smiled and extended a large hand at least twice the size of Harry's own.

"You, too, son," he said. Harry looked away uncomfortably and withdrew his hand as soon as he politely could. The amount of warmth he was receiving upon meeting the adults was so unusual for him that it was somewhat stifling.

"I wanted to introduce Harry to the animals," Dick explained. Mr. Kane looked thoughtful for a moment.

"Well, keep away from the tigers and bears. But I don't see why you can't introduce him to Peaches and Sidka," he said. Dick nodded enthusiastically.

"Tigers?" Harry repeated in stunned shock.

"Yeah," Dick replied. "They're over there." He pointed across the tent. Harry turned his head to follow. Sure enough, there were two orange-and-black beasts prowling in a metal cage.

"So, Harry, are you a fan of the circus?" Mr. Kane asked. Dick shook his head, for some reason, but Harry nodded enthusiastically.

"This place is great!" he exclaimed. "Everything is strange, so it doesn't matter if I am, too, right?"

Mr. Kane frowned at that, and Harry began to worry that he'd said something wrong, but then the look faded and he said, "Well, I'm glad you like it. Have fun, boys," so Harry figured that Mr. Kane wasn't mad at him. Then the man winked and added, "I'll send Miranda to keep an eye on you."

"Miranda's Mr. Kane's daughter. She's nine," Dick muttered to Harry, before adding, "but for a girl she's not so bad."

"What's that?" Harry asked delightedly, pointing at one of the cages to the right where what looked to be a lump of black fur was lying on the floor, gently moving up and down.

"That's Peaches," Dick said. "She's a gorilla. She's really nice."

"Oh," Harry replied, moving up to the cage uncertainly. "Hi," he said to the gorilla. The animal got up and lumbered over towards the two boys. Dick smiled and reached into the cage to pat her head. Harry looked over at his friend. "Can I-?" he asked.

"No one's supposed to touch the animals but Mom and Dad and me," a slightly bossy voice said from behind them. The two boys both turned around to see a girl with long black hair standing there, hands on her hips.

"Hi, Miranda," Dick said tolerantly.

"Who's the shrimp?" she asked. Harry looked down uncomfortably, a bit annoyed. Dick glared at her.

"His name's Harry," Dick replied challengingly.

"Nice to meet you," the girl said, holding out a hand. "How old are you?"

"Six," Harry replied, shaking it. She didn't seem so bad, even if she had called him a shrimp. Besides, Dick had said she was alright.

"When's your birthday?" Dick asked Harry curiously.

"July thirty-first," Harry replied, uncertain as to why his friend had asked.

"Mine's March thirty-first," Dick said. "So in a while I'll be eight and you'll still be six." He looked vaguely disappointed at that.

"You're still pretty small for your age," Miranda said to Harry. "You need to eat more."

"Well I would if I was allowed," Harry shot back, stung. Miranda and Dick looked confused. However, Dick was also looking vaguely upset, like he was unsure whether or not he should be angry at someone.

"Are you hungry?" the older boy asked. Harry nodded. "Then come on," Dick said, and led the English boy out of the tent. Miranda tagged along, more out of curiosity about the newcomer than anything else.

The two boys walked past the amazing assortment of talents once more, stopping at the door to a trailer with a brightly colored poster on its side. Harry didn't get a chance to look at it closely before Dick led him inside.

"Mom, Dad," Dick said without preamble. "Can Harry get something to eat?" Harry started. He'd been so busy staring at the brightly colored costumes in the trailer that he hadn't even noticed Mr. and Mrs. Grayson standing there.

"Sure thing, sweetie," Mrs. Grayson said, standing worriedly. "Harry, dear, when's the last time you ate?"

"Lunch, the day before yesterday," Harry said shyly. Mrs. Grayson's lips tightened.

"Well, then, you need to eat something," she said.

"It's okay," Harry said, not wanting to bother this nice woman. "Sometimes I don't get food for a week. I'll be fine."

"I'll feel better if you get something to eat," Mrs. Grayson said.

"Me too," Mr. Grayson added. Harry shrugged, overwhelmed by the kindness they were showing him.

"'Kay," he said softly. "Thank you very much."

"It's no problem at all," Mrs. Grayson assured him, squeezing his shoulder reassuringly. "Now, what would you like?"

Harry shrugged, uncomfortable with all the attention he was being afforded. "Er... anything's good," he replied.

"Well then, how about a peanut butter and jelly sandwich and some milk to start with?" the kindly woman suggested.

"That sounds great, Mrs. Grayson," Harry said earnestly. "Thank you!"

"I'm gonna go back to the animals," Miranda piped up. "See you later!"

"See you," Dick echoed.

"Bye," Harry added.

They were answered with the sound of the trailer door shutting. Then Mrs. Grayson put a sandwich in front of Harry and he forgot all about Miranda. He hoped the Graysons wouldn't tell his aunt and uncle that he'd eaten. After all, they didn't seem to like the idea of him not eating, and his aunt would starve him longer if she knew he'd had something.

He polished off the sandwich quickly, but as soon as he'd finished he found some chicken and vegetables on his plate. He ate them all, not feeling particularly picky. He couldn't afford to be at the Dursleys'.

"You still have to meet Sidka," Dick said as Harry was finishing off the last tomato on his plate. "He's still a baby, but he's really friendly."

"And really big," Mr. Grayson added, frowning slightly. "You boys don't go near him without Mr. Kane there too, or Miranda if he says that's okay. Be careful."

"'Kay, Dad," the older boy said. "We will."

Harry thought his friend sounded awfully insincere, but he planned on taking Mr. Grayson's advice, himself. He wasn't as comfortable around the animals as Dick was.

"I'm full, Mrs. Grayson," Harry said, picking up his empty plate and glass. "Thank you." He proceeded to the trailer's sink, where he placed the dishes and then turned on the hot water. Suddenly he felt a hand on his shoulder and looked up.

"That's enough of that," Dick's mom said kindly, giving him a slight push in his friend's direction. "Thank you for cleaning up your plate, dear, but I'll wash the dishes."

"I don't mind," Harry told her, puzzled. Aunt Petunia had always wanted him to wash the dishes.

"You're a guest, Harry," he was reminded gently. "Guests don't wash the dishes."

"Okay," Harry said, still rather confused.

"Come on," Dick insisted, tugging Harry back in the direction of the door. Harry hesitantly waved to the two adults before following his friend back to the animal tent.

o-o-o

Dick grew more and more tense as four o' clock grew nearer and nearer. Harry had seemed to get along really well with Sidka, and had become friends with Miranda, too, towards the end. He wished the day would just keep on going forever, that Harry would never have to go home, but he knew that couldn't happen.

At 4:10, the Dursleys still hadn't showed up. Dick was beginning to grow a bit more cheerful, hoping that Harry would possibly be able to stay much longer than anticipated. His parents, on the other hand, were growing a bit uncomfortable.

"They're probably just late," Dick heard his mother tell his father reassuringly, who nodded.

At half past four, his dad came to tell him to get into costume.

"We need to practice," his father said.

"Practice what?" Harry asked. Dick grinned widely.

"Can he watch? Please, Dad?" he asked pleadingly.

"Of course!" the man replied, ruffling his hair. "Come on, Harry. I guarantee you'll enjoy it."

"Okay," Harry said, eyes lighting up with curiosity.

"Wait here while I get changed," Dick said quickly before rushing into the trailer. He pulled on his tights and leotard as quickly as possible and ran back out. "Ta-da!" he said, posing. Harry's nose scrunched up in confusion as he eyed Dick's costume uncertainly.

"Why'd you change into that?" he asked hesitantly. Dick grinned.

"It's my costume. Mom and Dad wear one too-we're the Flying Graysons!" he exclaimed. His friend's eyes went so wide Dick could see the whites all the way 'round his irises.

"You can really fly?" Harry asked, awed.

"Not really," Dick corrected him. "We sort of fly, on the trapeze."

"What's a trapeze?" his friend wanted to know, eyes hungry for more. Dick shook his head, but he was smiling.

"You'll see."

From the expression on Harry's face, he was coming to enjoy that phrase.

The whole family headed into the big top, where they did stretches on the ground that had Harry staring with amazement before the real show had even begun. Then they walked over to the ladder leading up to the platform near the trapezes.

"Stay here," he warned his friend once, who nodded, his face set in eager anticipation. Dick smiled and began climbing the ladder.

"Ready?" his dad asked once he'd reached the top. Dick nodded once, more enthusiastic now than almost any other time he'd been on the trapeze, perhaps excepting his first performance.

Then his father swung from the trapeze, caught himself on the next one, gracefully flipped upside down-and Dick swung out, let go, flipped in midair and was falling, falling-until his father caught him, and he was safe and being swung to the platform on the other side of the tent. The rest of the routine passed by in an adrenalin-filled blur.

He was sweating by the time he headed down the ladder, but not tired, just warmed up and ready to perform shortly. He grinned as he saw Harry's expression.

"That was _amazing_," the British boy breathed, his expression conveying what his words could not. Dick laughed exultantly, feeling even better than when the others in the circus had nicknamed him the Boy Wonder half a year ago. His friend was amazed by his abilities, and somehow that meant more than even a cheering crowd and impressed adopted family members.

"Glad you liked it," Dick said, massively understating his feelings on the matter.

"Don't worry, Mary," he heard his father say nearby, interrupting his euphoria. "If it comes to that, we'll just have Harry stay in the trailer or one of the tents during the performance. He's a good kid, he won't go wandering off if we tell him it could be dangerous."

"What is it?" he turned and asked his parents. His father looked worried, but it was his mother who explained, "It's almost five, Dickie, and Harry's aunt and uncle haven't shown up yet. We have to consider that maybe they aren't going to get here before the show starts."

"The show starts at six," Dick reminded them. His dad nodded.

"We're just thinking ahead, is all," he said. Satisfied, Dick turned to his friend and stopped dead at the look of fear on Harry's face.

"Harry, are you alright?" he asked, hesitantly placing a hand on the smaller boy's shoulder. Harry looked up at him.

"What if they don't come back?" he replied anxiously. "What if they've decided to just get rid of me?"

"We'll take care of it," Dick's dad said, coming and placing a hand on Harry's shoulder. "Trust us." The boy nodded, but although his expression eased and he caught Dick up in a more lighthearted conversation, the older boy could tell that Harry's worries hadn't gone away.

o-o-o

Harry did indeed stay in the Graysons' trailer while the circus was performing. John had checked the answering machine to see if Harry's aunt or even uncle had left a message, but there was nothing.

It was eight by the time the show was over, and there was still no sign of Harry's family. Finally, John gave in to his darkest suspicions.

"Harry, I'm going to have to call the police," he said calmly, though a knot was forming in his stomach. "Now don't worry. They'll just find your aunt and uncle so you can go back to them."

"Okay," Harry said softly, hugging his knees. John squeezed the boy's shoulder gently.

"Stay with him," he whispered to Dick on the way out. His son nodded and headed over to Harry, where he began talking in low tones to his friend. Satisfied, John left to find a phone.

"Police department," he heard a moment later.

"Hello," he said, running a hand through his hair in agitation. "We—my wife and I—were asked to look after a boy. He'd made friends with my son—anyway, he was supposed to be picked up at four. It's the first time we've looked after him, we've only known him a few days, and we don't really get along with his guardians."

"Give me your name and location, please."

"John Grayson. I'm at Haley's Circus. We're acrobats."

"We'll send a car over, sir," the voice said, before there was a click and the line went dead. John stared at the receiver for a long moment before slowly putting it back down, sighing heavily.

"What's the matter, John?" he heard and turned to see Eric Kane standing in the doorway.

"Problems with Harry," John sighed. "His relatives haven't come by to pick him up, or called. They were supposed to be here four hours ago."

"That boy who was with Dick earlier," Eric commented, "he said something that concerned me, especially after what Miranda said."

John frowned. "What?"

"He said that everything here at the circus was strange, so it didn't matter if he was, too." Eric's hard eyes bored into his own. "Any idea what that means?" John frowned.

"He said he was punished if anything 'abnormal' happened around him," he replied slowly. "So maybe he's been made to feel as though he's unusual, and doesn't belong?" Eric's face darkened.

"You think he's being abused." It wasn't a question.

"I didn't want to believe it, but it's looking more and more like that's the case," John admitted. "Though now it looks as though he's been abandoned, so that's not a worry any longer."

"If he ends up in foster care it is," his friend said ominously. "Some of those homes are no better than the ones the kids get taken from."

"Many of them are much better," John defended, then sighed. "But it's not a good risk to take."

"Think about it," Eric said. John nodded and left to go stay with Harry, not wanting to leave him alone with only Dick. Not now.

The police showed up about twenty minutes later and asked John a lot of questions, some in the presence of the children, and most alone. Then the officer asked the children questions, and finally sent Dick and John outside to ask Harry questions alone.

Finally the officer who had been asking questions showed up with Harry at his side.

"We'll be taking Mr. Potter here down to the station until child services comes to pick him up," the cop said, and John felt a thrill of protectiveness and horror run through him at the terrified look on Harry's face. "Thank you for contacting us, Mr. Grayson. Good night."

"But—!" Dick protested, falling silent when John laid a hand on his shoulder. But Harry, emboldened by his friend's outburst, stopped walking for a moment.

"Can't I—" he began, then swallowed as the cop turned to look at him, "can't I stay with Dick and Mr. and Mrs. Grayson? Just—just for now?"

"It's fine with us," John said immediately, amazed at the rush of relief that swept through him.

"I suppose that would be alright," the officer said, looking from one boy to the other and then to John himself. "An officer will have to stay with you until the children's services representative shows up, but until then you're free to stay here."

"Thank you," Harry said, obviously relieved, and flashed the officer a hundred-megawatt smile.

Despite the concession, however, the atmosphere was still tense as the Grayson family waited for the social worker to arrive. Mary fixed some warm milk with honey for the boys in hopes of relaxing them somewhat, and also in an effort to find something to do. John wished he could do something similar. It was terrible feeling completely useless when such a bright and wonderful boy was hurting so badly.

And suddenly John realized that he wasn't just thinking about Harry in relation to his son anymore; he cared about Harry as Harry, and not just Dick's friend. Of course, he was Dick's friend because of those traits John had come to admire, but one factor wasn't all that was tying him to the boy now.

Harry was silent when the social worker came, told him he was being taken in as a ward of the state and that they would be contacting the British embassy soon. John pulled the surprised boy into a hug before letting him go, and after that Dick and Mary had to give him one too. Then the boy was led away. The officer followed, but John caught up to him just outside the door.

"Wait," he requested. The officer turned.

"Would it be possible for us to adopt him?" he asked, looking in Harry's direction. The officer raised an eyebrow.

"It might be. You would have to fill out an I-800 form, file with the state and probably petition the embassy. But adopting is a big decision. Don't make it just on the spur of the moment."

"It isn't," John said seriously, willing the officer to give him more information, to do something, _something._

"I'll talk to the boy's social worker," the cop said after a moment, before smiling briefly. "Good night, Mr. Grayson. I wish there were more out there like you." And with that, he left.

John turned, satisfied, and almost ran into his wife who had been standing behind him. "Mary, sorry for not asking you first, but I—" he began, falling silent when she placed a finger over his lips.

"I think it's a wonderful idea," she said softly. "Harry is a brilliant boy, and he and Dick get along so well already. He's the brother we've always dreamed of being able to give our boy." She kissed him gently. "The second son we've always dreamed of having."

John smiled into her hair and embraced her, then reentered the trailer, where his son was kicking the floor dejectedly.

"Dick," he said, and was gratified when the boy looked up, though he was still clearly upset. "What would you think about having Harry as your brother?"


End file.
